Skin Care Ingredients – Queen Bee Facial Studio Pagosa

Does Your Skin Need Hyaluronic Acid?

Hyaluronic acid is the hottest ingredient in skincare right now—but how well does it actually work as a moisturizer and wrinkle-plumper?

Beauty editors, skincare companies and anti-aging aficionados are having a serious love affair with hyaluronic acid. It is everywhere: not just as the main ingredient in injectable fillers but also in topical serums, lotions, creams and masques; it’s making its way into foundation, primer, blush and lipstick, too.

What is hyaluronic acid? Hyaluronic acid (which also goes by the names hyaluronan or hyaluronate) is not an acid in the same sense as popular ones like salicylic or glycolic, which exfoliate away dead skin cells. Hyaluronic acid doesn’t do that at all. As a naturally-occurring polysaccharide found in the human body, it acts as a cushioning and lubrication agent for our joints, nerves, hair, skin and eyes.

It’s particularly important to skin appearance because about 50 percent of the body’s supply is located in the skin tissues, where the viscous, jelly-like substance helps keep it plump, soft and supple. Our ability to produce hyaluronic acid declines with age, which can lead to increased dryness, fine lines, wrinkles and loss of elasticity. Hyaluronic acid molecules’ unique ability to attract and retain more than 1,000 times their weight in water.

Why hyaluronic acid makes a great injectable filler. Popular fillers like Restylane and Juvéderm work like sponges once they’re injected, swelling up with water to create a plumper look Over time—anywhere from three to 12 months—the hyaluronic acid gets absorbed by the body and disappears. This is longer than collagen lasts; HA is also less likely to produce a reaction, since the body does not recognize it as a foreign substance. .

There is also some evidence that hyaluronic acid stimulates collagen production. It forms a barrier on the skin and gives a soft moisturizing effect that makes skin smoother

The right way to use hyaluronic acid

Although it gives you the sensation that your skin is “instantly” moist and hydrated, you are not getting any lipids or fats to really protect and provide lasting moisture. There are lots of discussions that it can be drying, but in our facial room here in Pagosa Springs, what we normally see is that it softens and restores healthy skin very quickly. Most clients need an additional moisturizer. So with our line of ultra low molecular weight hyaluronic acid products, we like to use another moisturizing step after. Lavish contains addition volumes of larger molecules of hyaluronic acid, but also contains raw shea butter, acai berry extract, passion fruit seed oil, calendula flower, and rice brain oil. This work in conjuction to help deeply moisturize with lasting lipids, vitamin content and trace minerals.

One great thing about HA is that it’s super-light and watery, which is a great benefit for anyone with acne-prone skin who is averse to creamy/oily moisturizers.

The most potent topical form is in a serum—to be applied on clean, bare and ideally damp (or even wet) skin as the first step in your skincare regimen. (The wetness will help it trap and lock in the most water.) Two of the highest-concentrations are Vivify Serum and Vivify Spritz from organic skin care maker Queen Bee.

Queen Bee Skin Care is an organic skin care company that formulates and manufactures products in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. They have been selling specialty skin care items online for years, some of which have been featured in the Denver Post and Dr Oz’s popular daytime TV Show. Specializing in botanicals packed with phyto-nutrients that nourish the skin and spirit! You can find Queen Bee on facebook too! To purchase your favorite organic skin care items, you can shop online at www.QueenBeeSkin.com or give us a buzz at 970-316-buzz.

Vivify Spritz and Serum. What is the difference?

Vivify is a high dose facial skin care product formulated with ultra low molecular weight of hyaluronic acid. The new products called Lavish (moisturizer) and Vivify (plumper) are both breaking sales records for us at Queen Bee. We wanted to explain why we created two different versions of Vivify.

Vivify Spritz versus Vivify Serum. They are essentially the same thing. There are a few small differences which is why we added them both to our facial skin care line. If you haven’t tried these products yet, you can start with either one. You apply them first on freshly cleaned skin. (We have samples size of most of our products at www.QueenBeeSkin.com).

Vivify Serum is formulated with aloe as a binding agent. The Aloe helps it penetrate even more quickly and deeply. This is great for eye areas and targeting fine lines. It allows you to put the serum exactly where you want it and it absorbs immediately. This formulation is twice as strong as in the Vivify Spritz.

Vivify Spritz is easier for us to make in large volumes and the packaging is both easier to fill and less expensive. This allows us to sell the product at $54 for 2 oz. This compares to Vivify Serum which is $56 for half ounce. The Vivify Spritz is great if you have larger areas of dry or damaged skin on your upper arms, legs or chest that you want to cover quickly. We will also make a refill for this after it has been out a while.

They are both made with the same KEY ingredient the ultra low molecular weight of hyaluronic acid. You can use both (which we do and recommend to most clients that have already noticed their skin getting better). You can use either product. Why ultra low weight sodium hyaluronate? This is less than 5,000 dalton molecular weight which is one twentieth the size molecule of regular sodium hyaluronate. That helps it sink in quicker and deeper so it plumps, restores fullness, soothes the skin, reduces redness, etc. All the benefits of sodium hyaluronate in an even more powerful form.

Botanicals the New Trend? Old news for Queen Bee customers.

dayspamag-cover-218x300 As Queen Bee Organic Skin Care prepares to celebrate her tenth birthday this summer, we notice more and more press on the topic of switching to ingredients that have healthier compositions. This months cover of Day Spa Magazine (not organic spa magazine) . Also in the mail yesterday was the new Bergdorfs skin care or beauty book. There is a super high end company botancial based skin care company’s products featured. It is called Sunday Riley … $110 for one ounce of rich botanical oils. This is the first time that both the skin care press and the high end merchandising heavy beauty counters are taking notice of the power of ingredients that are sourced naturally. Everything you need for you skin can come from nature instead of a lab.

We know there will always be fans of vampire facials and injectable poisons like botox, but it is sure rewarding to have a trhiving botanical business in a category that is finally getting a little recognition from it’s own industry.

We want to thank our loyal customer base for getting ahead of the trend and being willing to try the switch to pure botanical oils rich in phyto nutrients instead of department store chemical laden lotions. We hope you continue to have glowing radiant skin and that we can help you make the choices right for your skin.

Here is a link to the latest version of our skin care matrix which helps you identify the products that suit your skin type. As always, you can call or text us with your questions and we are happy to “bee” of service.

click here: skin care matrix- 2014 Summer


	
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Queen Bee Skin Care is an organic skin care company that formulates and manufactures products in Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Selling specialty skin care items online for years, some of which have been featured in the Denver Post, Amazon and Dr Oz’s popular daytime TV Show. Specializing in botanicals packed with phyto-nutrients from flower and seed oils that nourish your skin and spirit! Like us on facebook! To purchase your favorite organic skin care items, you can shop online at www.QueenBeeSkin.com or give us a buzz at 970-316-buzz.

Shea Butter Frequently Asked Questions

Shea Butter Frequently Asked Questions

What is shea?
Shea butter is actually oil that has been extracted from the nut of the Shea tree (also called Karite). It is commonly called butter because some people with nut or latex allergies can be sensitive to it. So, the reference to oil as butter was to help notify consumers that it would have nut-like properties such as Almond butter or Peanut butter. The scientific name is Butyrospermum-Parkii.

What is shea butter used for?
Everything! Shea butter is known world-wide as a miracle healing plant for most skin conditions. Shea butter will fight wrinkles, scars, stretch marks, eczema, chapped lips, rough skin, sore muscles, open wounds, sun burns, and much more.

Is all shea the same?
No, all shea butter is not created equal – unrefined raw shea is manufactured by hand, refined shea is manufactured by machines and altered by potentially hazardous chemicals; losing some of its natural anti-bacterial and anti-oxidant properties.

Why buy unrefined shea?
Unrefined shea is made naturally; the only ingredient in unrefined shea butter is shea. Refined shea has been through a rigorous manufacturing process that removes some healing properties from the oil. Several damagingchemicals are added to the finished product, and the refining process is very harmful to the environment.

How can I tell if my shea butter is unrefined?
Unrefined shea is grey, beige or light yellow, very hard when cooled, and nutty in smell. It will leave a satiny finish on your skin when applied. Refined shea is bright white, grainy, fairly soft at room temperature, and has no smell.

SHOP: Raw Shea Butter Products

Africa’s Miracle Plant-The Untold Story of Raw Shea

Just below the Sahara Desert, in a vast expanse of African Savannah land, sits the Nasia Village. Outside of the rainy season, this is one of the most unforgiving, dry, dusty places on earth. Brutal sun, wind, and Hamatan dust create dire consequences for exposed skin.

For centuries, women of Nasia have used oil from the nut of the native Shea tree to combat these extreme conditions, turning the oil into raw shea butter for their skin. Raw shea butter, thickened oil extracted from the nut of the Shea tree, is an extremely versatile product, containing both carotene and alantoin for excellent moisturizing, soothing, anti-aging, and healing treatment. Women and men all over the world have caught on to this secret-of-the-savannah and use shea to combat all types of skin conditions.

One of the most significant uses of raw shea butter is as an anti-aging treatment. In a remarkable six-month anti-aging study performed by F. Renard, 30 participants used raw shea butter as a daily moisturizer. Within a few weeks, the dull, grayish complexion of most participants had vanished, and smoother, clearer skin was revealed. Wrinkles caused by prolonged sun exposure were visibly diminished for half of the study’s participants. Because of shea’s unique ability to reactivate collagen synthesis, by the study’s conclusion, evident skin regeneration had occurred in all participants.

Anti-aging is only one of the several conditions raw shea butter remedies, others include:

Dry skin Rashes
Peeling after tanning
Blemishes
Itching
Skin cracks
Wound healing time
Scarring
Sunburn
Insect bites
Rough skin on feet, elbows and knees
Frost bite
Chapped lips
Muscle aches

SHOP: Raw Shea Butter Products

However, according to Lynne Killey, founder of Queen Bee skin care, not all shea is created equal. “Mostconsumers don’t realize that a refining process is typically used to make shea butter. This manufacturing process adds chemicals to the oil, then heats it to a point where most of the nutrients are killed off – virtually eliminating all healing properties of the original nut.”

Raw shea butter (also known as unrefined shea) undergoes a traditional production method. In this process, the shea kernel is picked, cracked, grilled and pounded. It is then boiled in water until the fresh butter rises to the surface, which is scooped into gourds and left to set. Performed by hand, this extraction method uses no conventional processing techniques that will strip the finished product of original nutrients. At no point of production are dangerous chemicals or synthetic agents added to this shea butter.

More commonly found in retail outlets, refined shea butter goes through an entirely different production cycle than its natural counterpart. In an effort to speed up the extraction process, increase profits and alter the smell and texture of shea butter, most manufacturers have adopted a refining method which destroys much of the natural integrity of the shea nut. In this process, the seed oil is extracted from the kernels using a highly flammable, gasoline-like chemical known as Hexane, which usually remains in the product in trace amounts.

Side effects from exposure to hexane include dizziness, drowsiness, headache, nausea, weakness, unconsciousness, and abdominal pain. Production by-products containing trace amounts of hexane are commonly sold as animal feed, and excessive amounts of hexane are thought to cause anemia in livestock transferring to the meat consumers’ purchase. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, Hexanecompounds are carcinogens and are classed as a hazardous substance. Hexane also poses a serious environmental threat – implicated as a polluter and producer of harmful ozone build-up and air pollution when vented into the atmosphere during the flash-off (burning) cycle of manufacturing.

The side effects and environmental concerns surrounding the use of hexane are serious problems of refined shea butter production, yet other aspects of this refining process are equally as damaging to consumers. To remove the characteristic nutty smell of shea, the extracted oil is exposed to 450 degree heat and sodiumhydroxide and carbonate chemicals are added. To change the texture and appearance of the product, it moves through an acid-treated filter and is bleached. Known carcinogens (BHT & BHA) are added to refined shea butter to enhance the shelf-life of the finished product.

“Refining shea butter removes natural essential fatty acids, valuable proteins and important minerals, leaving consumers with a questionable, ineffective and potentially dangerous product. In no way similar to refined shea butter, raw shea butter is significantly richer in vitamins, phyto-nutrients and UV absorbing factors. Raw shea is more difficult to find [than refined shea butter], but is well worth the effort,” states Killey.

The American Shea Butter Institute agrees, “While altered shea butter may smell nicely or [when mixed with less expensive ingredients] appear cost-effective, it has lost significant health-properties….poor quality shea butter is ineffective in healing most conditions that raw shea treats.”

To ensure your shea butter is raw, make sure it is beige or yellow, with a creamy texture and a nutty smell. If your shea butter has no smell (or a fragrant/floral smell), is white or is grainy, it is refined shea and does not hold the same healing properties of authentic shea. Because of several naturally-occurring antioxidants, raw shea has an indefinite shelf-life; however, refined shea has a maximum two-year shelf-life.

Shea butter is truly a remarkable, one-of-a-kind skin care product, treating wrinkles, stretch marks, scars, burns, muscle soreness and everything in between – every household should have a jar on hand. However, raw shea produces results that are far superior to those of refined shea.

Founded in 2004, Queen Bee offers simple, natural skin care products to health-conscious consumers. With a focus on personalized products and service, all Queen Bee products are homemade, by hand, from scratch, using natural and organic ingredients. The Queen Bee motto ‘Made with Love’ represents the philosophy of founder Lynne Killey that “each bottle or jar of product is made with attention to quality of ingredients,harmony with nature and care for the person who will be using our product.”